Wolverine and Ana are in a speedboat as they pursue Soteira soldiers who have kidnapped Ana's son across a sea. Wolverine fears that Ana's son has been injected with a biological weapon which they might be planning to test in a populated city. As he and Ana talk, they don't notice Omega Red and a masked soldier dive into the water and wait as their speedboat approaches them. Ana reveals some more information about the Soteira facility where Wolverine found her, before Omega Red and his companion leap onto Wolverine's boat. Ana fires a harpoon into Omega Red's head, knocking him back into the water, while Wolverine faces off against his opponent who also has a seat of claws. During the battle, Wolverine slices off his opponent's sleeve, revealing some tattoos which Wolverine finds familiar. In his mind, he struggles to keep a savage version of himself at bay, while defeating his foe by dowsing him in fuel and setting the fuel ablaze by running it through his claws which are red hot. Wovlerine thinks that he knew his opponent who he set ablaze, before turning his attention back to pursuing the Soteira soldiers. Ana goes over to him and wonders if anyone ever thanks him for the suffering he is forced to endure through his acts of heroism, and kisses him. Wolverine then motions to a strange city built into an island up ahead and tells Ana that he thinks they are here. Meanwhile, at the Xavier Institute, Jean Grey is using Cerebro, and to her surprise, thinks that she has found Logan.

Full Summary:

The sea, where a small jetboat races across the clear blue waters. 'Can you see them, Logan?' the woman known only as Ana asks. Wolverine a.k.a. Logan looks through some bionculars and tells Ana that be can, but her son isn't on deck, so these Soteira bastards must have stashed him below. 'But the bad guys... yeah. I see them' Logan confirms as he looks at another jetboat ahead of them. Ana asks Logan if they will be able to catch up. Logan tells her that this boat is faster, but the Soteira guys are going full out, and they have a head start. 'If we had enough time, yeah, we'd have them' he adds, before explaining that if they get to land first, and they have a vehicle waiting, or a plane, then things are not good for them. Logan frowns and asks Ana if she has any idea where they are going, and recalls that she said Persephone has a city. 'What does that mean?' he asks. Ana closes her eyes and admits that she doesn't know the specifics, she hasn't seen it, she has just heard things – that it was across the water, and she was testing something there.

Logan tells Ana that he has been thinking about that, and reminds her that Persephone's kill team injected her son with something – it could be a biological weapon. He adds that if Perren is the incubator, then perhaps the idea is to test it on a larger population, like a city. 'Oh...oh my God' Ana utters. On the other boat, one of the Soteira soldiers notices the speedboat approaching them as Logan turns to Ana and tells her that he is sorry. He takes her hand and explains that he doesn't always think before he talks. 'Your son will be fine. Whatever Persephone thinks she's gonna do with him... it won't happen' he assures her. 'You swear it? Perren will be all right?' Ana asks, unaware that one of the Soteira soldiers motions to two others – Omega Red and a masked man. 'I swear it, Ana' Wolverine remarks as Omega Red and the masked man dive into the water.

Logan then asks Ana if she has any idea what Persephone's trying to accomplish – the big picture? 'Only a very little' Ana responds, as Omega Red and his masked companion wait beneath the water. Ana informs Wolverine that sometimes, important people would come to the facility where he met her, scientists usually, but not always – and she recognized one once, a famous singer. She adds that mostly they take a tour and leave, but some of the scientists stayed – they brought their equipment and did their research. Omega Red and the other man wait beneath the water still, as the speedboat races every closer to them. Ana glances sideways as she tells Wolverine that not long ago, they all left in big trucks, and only the support staff were left behind – then the kill team came in. 'And then... you, Wolverine'.

Under the water, Omega Red releases a carbonadium cable while his companion pops two claws. Wolverine asks Ana if she knows anything about the kill teams, recalling that he fired almost a full clip into one of them and he got right back up. Ana tells him that she doesn't, other than that they are well named. Suddenly, the claws of the mysterious man strike the underside of the boat. 'You hear that?' Wolverine asks, remarking that if he didn't know better, he would say they just hit something. An instant later, Omega Red and his masked companion flip up onto the speedboat. 'Fantastic' Wolverine snarls. Wolverine tells Ana to stay back. 'I can handle them' he boasts as he pops his own claws – but before he takes more than two steps towards the mercenaries, a harpoon is fired through Omega Red's head. 'Huh. Thanks' the surprised Wolverine exclaims as he looks at Ana, who holds a harpoon gun. 'Don't mention it' Ana replies as Omega Red falls into the water.

The man with the two claws per hand moves towards Wolverine, who asks Ana if she has another one of those weapons, but Ana tells him that there is only one harpoon in the locker. 'Okay, then you really should -' Logan begins. 'Stay back, I know' Ana replies. Wolverine holds his own claws up to the masked man and tells him that he didn't bring enough claws. But the masked man raises his claws hands and pops another claw up on each hand from the underside of his wrists. 'Hnh' Wolverine frowns as the two men leap towards each other, with the masked man knocking Wolverine backwards as he rakes his claws across Wolverine's arms, drawing blood. Before he falls off the speedboat, Wolverine is able to shove his claws into the boat's hull. The masked soldier looks back at Wolverine, then lunges to him, slashing his claws against Wolverine's other arm, as Wolverine's own claws tear part of the soldier's sleeve off his Soteira uniform, revealing some unique tattoos on his arm.

Upon seeing the tattoos, Wolverine sees an image in his mind – of Daken, behind bars. The tattoos on the soldier's arm exactly the same as the man Wolverine sees in his mind. 'Do I know you?' Wolverine asks. He gets no answer, as in his mind, he looks over to another cage, where a savage, scarred version of himself shouts 'Out out out' wanting to be let free of his cage. Wolverine falls to the floor of the boat as the masked soldier pins him down. 'OUT!' the savage Wolverine roars inside his mind, and suddenly, Logan notices his claws begin to glow. 'What the hell?' he wonders, before his attacker plungers his claws into Logan's shoulders. Logan struggles, but forces the Soteira agent backwards by kicking him off of him. Logan glances over his shoulder at the jetboat's rudder. He blocks his attacker who leaps at him again. Logan then retracts his claws, causing red lines to appear on his arm as he reaches back and grabs a cable connected to the rudder and aims it at his attacker, which dowses him in petrol.

Logan then raises his other hand, with his red-hot claws still popped, which electrifies the petrol and sets it – and his clawed attacker – ablaze, tearing away the attacker's mask, revealing that he is Daken. Wolverine pops his claws into Daken's chest, then tosses him overboard into the ocean. 'Logan?' Ana calls out. Logan spins around and points his red-hot claws at Ana. 'No!' Ana gasps, while inside his mind, Wolverine has a key to the cell where his savage counterpart is kept. 'What? No' Wolverine utters as he holds the key inches from the lock. 'D-don't please' Ana gasps, her eyes looking at the blades that are less than an inch from her face. 'Ana... I'm sorry' Wolverine utters as he retracts his claws. 'Soon, bub. Soon' the savage Wolverine caged inside Logan's mind snarls.

Wolverine sits down on the boat as Ana asks him if he is all right. Logan rubs his wrists and tells her that he is okay, just exhausted and hurt. Logan then asks Ana if she has ever heard any stories about his claws getting hot enough to ignite fuel. Ana tells him that she hasn't. Logan clenches a fist and tells Ana that it was ugly, that it felt like he was just the claws and nothing else – like they were stealing every bit of energy he had – like they were in control. Ana tells him that is ridiculous, but Logan reminds her that he has knives in his hands, magic healing powers and he can barely remember his life before this morning – it is all ridiculous. 'And you want to hear something else? That guy I just killed...I'm pretty sure I knew him' Wolverine remarks, wondering what that means as he looks back out over the water.

Logan takes the controls of the jetboat. 'We better get back after these... hm. Not good. I had to cut the fuel line to one of the engines during the fights' Wolverine explains, telling Ana that that cuts their speed in half. 'Please don't tell me we've lost them' Ana pleads. Logan assures her that they haven't, and that the others have been locked on the same heading this entire time, like an arrow, so he doubts they will change it now. 'And even if they do, we'll find them. I'll be got their scent' Logan explains, touching his nose. He assures Ana that they will catch the Soteira soldiers and save her boy, reminding her that he promised. 'I remember, Wolverine' Ana tells him, before remarking that Wolverine is so alive, and that for all he does, for all the suffering he saves others from – the heroism. 'Does anyone... ever thank you?' she enquires, putting her hand on Wolverine's.

Logan turns to Ana and they kiss. Ana's hand strokes Wolverine's bearded face, then they pull away from each other. Logan takes Ana's hand and tells her that he doesn't remember, but that he knows that is not why he does it. Wolverine looks over to the island ahead, where almost futuristic buildings have been built along the shore and up into the mountain behind them. Wolverine tells ana that they don't have time, as he thinks they have arrived.

Meanwhile, in New York, at the Xavier Institute for Mutant Education and Outreach, where Jean Grey is currently using the mutant-locating psychic supercomputer called Cerebro. 'I... I...' Jean utters. 'What is it, Jean?' Kitty Pryde asks, standing nearby. Jean removes the Cerero helmet and tells Kitty that she doesn't believe it – she just found Logan!

Comics

X-Fact

The original character design of Thunderbird by Dave Cockrum appeared decades later as an alternate universe version of the character in the Exiled arc of Astonishing X-Men [Astonishing X-Men (3rd series) #45]